न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो
यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः।
यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम
स्तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः।।2.6।।
।।2.6।।हम यह भी नहीं जानते कि हमलोगोंके लिये युद्ध करना और न करना इन दोनोंमेंसे कौनसा अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ है और हमें इसका भी पता नहीं है कि हम उन्हें जीतेंगे अथवा वे हमें जीतेंगे। जिनको मारकर हम जीना भी नहीं चाहते वे ही धृतराष्ट्रके सम्बन्धी हमारे सामने खड़े हैं।
Morever even if we could choose the path of unrighteousness in this matter, we cannot determine which is better for us, victory or defeat. These two alternatives are pointed out, whether the Pandavas should conquer the Kauravas or be conquered by them. But even in conquering them the victory would still be virtually a defeat because it is stated here by Arjuna that: slaying those very persons whom after there would be no desire to live. So win or lose was defeat in his eyes.
There is no commentary for this verse.
There is no commentary for this verse.
It may be questioned how can Arjuna abandon his duty to fight as a ksatriya which is prescribed in the Vedic scriptures and believe that begging which is one of the duties of a brahmana is better? To counter this Arjuna is stating that he does not know which one is better or if its even better to be victorious or be vanquished as victory itself could seem like defeat for by being forced into the situation of having to slay his relatives in the Kaurava army he would not wish to live any longer.
